I Married a Photographer

I had some surprising news, not life changing or anything but enough of a burr in the saddle to frustrate me and ultimately create more work.

Model: DK

 Thankfully, I have been able to appreciate my break from school and the photography business for the past month.  Dean has exercised many of his other talents during this time while we have discussed how much effort our business is worth.

Over the past two years, we’ve seen a clear evolutionary  division in photography and art.  We have always sought to define ourselves as artists with the medium as photography.  To some of you this may sound like I’m playing semantics but there is a clear difference.  Art encompasses many ideas, feelings and an obvious perspective.  It should evoke emotion, feeling and pique one’s interest upon inspection.  Ultimately, there is something to take away from art; a message or a vantage point.

On the other hand, there are many people who take photos.  Camera equipment has changed progressively over the past 20 years that one can now use a phone to capture a moment in time which is of equal or better quality than some cameras.  The effort, for many of us, doesn’t have to be there because the camera does all the work.  I can enjoy those who have a hobby of taking photos but  maybe don’t fully understand what it is he/she is doing.

My point is this, appreciate art when you see it.  Understand that there is a message from an artist who finds it important enough to share this piece with you.  The artist wants a reaction -good, bad, passionate, disgusted, anything is better than nothing in most cases.

In our process there is a clear point of choice.  We can choose to aim for a strong reaction or to tame things a bit for whatever reason.  In instances where there are two options and neither are optimal, it is what you do after making that choice.  For me, yesterday, it was Geography or Oriental Art 2 but I know that with either one, I will learn something I didn’t know before and earn my way to the top of the class because given my choices I have the control to make it a fruitful experience or not.  For our business . . . at this point, I’m not sure where things will go but I know that we’ll welcome the choices and experiences.

Please, support your local artists!

Those of you who are close to us know what kind of a year this has been for us.  Last year takes the cake for crappy activity but it seems like every year offers it’s challenges.  With that said, life doesn’t slow down for anyone.  I know I heard this statement many years ago, The only constant is change. How true this is (for good and bad)!  Thankfully, all of us at DSP have enough happiness, success and love for which we are grateful.

The frustration and sub-par activities and events served as lessons, we embraced new beginnings -highlighting the benefits of surrounding yourself with positive people and lastly, we had a huge sigh of relief that was like a ton of weight lifted from our shoulders.  We are approaching the new year with new beginnings, goals and interests!  We are very excited to look forward with our families and friends.

DSP has put the photography on hold, temporarily, but will have some projects on the horizon.  Thank you to all who support your local ARTISTS and we will keep you posted (even if a few months behind)! Peace.

US and THEM

Oh June, where did you go?  While I was kept busy with a public speaking class and preparing for the “US and them” art show, I completely lost track of time.  So let’s take a look back at June in the DSP world and I will give you some highlights.

First and most importantly, the “US and them” artist’s reception took place on June 4th.  There was a ton of complicated events (and simple people) who tried to jeopardize the art.  I remember telling Dean that I just wanted to have the event finished.  Though, I love supporting him and doing whatever I can to help him as an artist, I also see his struggles and frustration when people interfere.  Let me just say this, people make art interesting but, on occasion, they can have the power to push artists to throw their hands up and walk away, too.  We went through all sorts of things leading up to the day of the reception.  I was on the phone trying to smooth things over with the gallery representative, explaining our situation about an uncooperative model and her talking head (who happened to be a photographer) who didn’t want Dean to hang one image of her.  As time crept on, I felt defeated, I can’t imagine how Dean felt.

On the car ride to Bloomsburg, I just felt awful.  All my positive energy and thoughts escaped me, I feared situations and scenarios that maybe could play out and had no reason to think any of them were impossible.  Dean was prepared for the gallery to ask him to take his art down, so our car was full of the images packaging material-just in case.

However, we didn’t need it.  Dean was surrounded by more positive persons than those who enjoy placing people in impossible situations.  Failure is really not an option in either Dean’s nor my mind, with that said, Dean had a very successful evening!  The image that had been under so much scrutiny was happily sold -while hanging in our vehicle.  Dean had some inspiring conversations with other artists who had similar struggles.  Wanting to create something meaningful but afraid that this area is too simple and narrow-minded to appreciate the value and effort that the artist put forth.  She walked away feeling more free to express her art and was pleasantly surprised at Dean and Ken’s effort to keep it art.  That was a definite win-win!

So we were able to put a close to all the nay-sayers and poo-pooers, though I’m not sure ArtSpace will ever be the same, I am very proud of Dean and Ken for displaying their art and accepting and defeating all the issues that accompanied it.

After that first weekend in June, art-wise we haven’t been doing a whole lot.  A little retooling for some album art talking with bands about representing them in their industry, etc.  Dean has spoken a lot about where he’d like to go with his photography so I think I’ll be busy making contact with some VIPs in the art community.

Every weekend since the beginning of June, we’ve been spending time with family and friends.  Taking every opportunity to share in both intimate and grand celebrations.  Being married to a photographer has its ups and downs and like every relationship -if you are ready, the rewards are priceless!

Interview at WQSU 5-28-11

Here is our interview from last Sunday.  Enjoy!

Who's who, Bread will be there, will you?

As most of you know, Dean currently has his art showing in a new venue, the name of the show is titled “US and them” and is housed in Art Space Gallery in Bloomsburg, PA.  The meaning behind “US and them” has both a literal and figurative connotation depending what your perspective.  Dean and Ken took a unique approach towards examining how each is seen by other people and as a study of self.

The options are endless when one thinks about what “US and them” could encompass. In actuality, it has potential to mean anything.  It could be used to define the duality that all people possess, acting in a certain manner but feeling or thinking in a way that misaligns your actions.  What I want each reader to take from this is that “US and them” has been constructed for you to enjoy, you may not love every piece but we want you to think about each image/sculpture -attach some meaning to it and use it.

Since the opening day of the show, we have had a bit of controversy surrounding one image, in particular.  It has been taken down but as Dean stated yesterday in Homemade Jams’ radio show, “Art will prevail!”

A HUGE THANK YOU to all of our models and those who helped us out with finding them, we do hope you can make it to the reception on Saturday!

Thank you for supporting your local artists and CHEERS!

I will post the radio interview, once I figure out how to . . .   Interview at WQSU 5-28-11

In a neutral room, poorly lit with a flicker of sunlight poking through the oversized under dressed window.  The evening rain settles to a fine mist, almost refreshing.  I look down to my steaming mug of tea and try to not feel neutral and dim.  I am surrounded by influences but which one wins?  Scanning the room for inspiration, I see the many objects of significance.  What I really want to write about is, pain.

It’s a powerful tool in the medical world, defining pain can be very telling of one’s internal problems.  Every now and again, pain is used as a great comparison and gauge for daily choices (usually to avert one from being on the receiving end of it).  Coupled with a word like terrible or unbearable it is an experience everyone has but can easily forget  -depending on the situation.  From my experience, non-physical pain is the worst.  It can -and usually does, manifest years later in an unrelated situation and once identified can be the source of growth and learning.  I don’t want to speak only for or about myself but have a broader idea of what pain is to humans. We experience physical pain during child labor, death, injury, laughter and loss.  It is so important to understand pain for what it is, a system to of self teaching.  What person burns themselves once and goes back for more?  Surely no healthy person would, yet, there are so many adults who raise children who are so fearful and shielded from pain that upon entering adulthood these persons lack the coping and adversity skills to understand the meaning behind the pain.  What do you think of a person who can’t describe pain?

My father is a minister.  As I grew up, I attended more funerals than weddings or baptisms.  Having had watched family after family grieve, I slowly began to understand that life is a cyclical process and we can experience a wide spectrum of emotions, once we pull the blinders off.  Open yourself to experience and life because the pain is what teaches and the joy is what we savor.

Art can prove to be an effective catharsis for pain.